


Without Love, We'd Be Just Robots

by BassDestructor



Category: Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types, Rockman | Mega Man Classic
Genre: M/M, Science Husbands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-02-23 02:55:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23937937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BassDestructor/pseuds/BassDestructor
Summary: (POST-MEGAMAN 11): Dr. Light is left to reflect on his former days working with Dr. Wily, and why he never used the double-gear system on his robots despite having knowledge of his rival's invention. At a robotics conference, Light discovers Wily and confronts him. Alone.
Relationships: Dr. Light & Dr. Wily, Dr. Light/Dr. Wily
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	Without Love, We'd Be Just Robots

It was dim in the office of Dr. Thomas Light, save for a lone lamp hovering above his main desk, where he sat with his arm propped atop the wooden desktop, his forehead cupped in his right hand. Dr. Light felt more alone perhaps now than ever before. He'd achieved his wildest dreams, or so he thought, and he'd done what so many people had in life. He'd had a family, albeit in an unconventional way--but Rock and Roll were his children. His son and his daughter. And Blues, the prototype robot he'd first created with Dr. Wily--even he too, was his son. His son that he'd betrayed. And he felt terrible. Dr. Light had made plenty of mistakes. The world might not see it that way, but with every family there are complications. Some might just say that robots aren't real family--that they're just tools, but Thomas Light knew better than that. He regretted so many things in his life. Like the time he’d told Albert that his double-gear system was dangerous. Look what amazing powers it had given his son Rock. It was stressful to a robot’s internal systems, but Mega Man had survived in one piece. This kind of technology was still revolutionary, even today.

When Dr. Light thought about how he’d kept Wily’s prototype double-gear design even after arguing against the invention at the Robotics Council, he felt a punch to his gut. _If only he hadn’t been so jealous_. _If only his mind had been more open_. Maybe things would have turned out different between himself and Albert.

His fist collided with the desktop. The light shook and flickered off and back on again. Dr. Light took a key out of his pocket and fitted it into the latch to the top drawer of the desk. His hands found a small letter under a pile of messy papers. Light blew the dust off it and closed the door. The piece of paper was folded in the middle and then folded again. He opened it slowly and let out a sigh. He hadn’t touched this letter in many months—maybe even years. He began to read silently to himself.

_I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I can’t be strong enough to continue. I wish that I were. More than anything, I wish that I could have back what we had when we first met, and in those first few months when just the playful grin on your face was enough to tell me that you were up to something. You always intrigued me. Even now, after what’s happened, you intrigue me, and you always will. You were the one I could never get enough of. Together, we were on top of the world, you know?! Hahaha… But I can’t go on like this. I thought we had something, I really did. All those years, searching for happiness, searching for a Light—and I found him. At least I thought I found him. But I was a fool. We’re destined to be rivals. I see now, and I should have seen all along that all good things come to an end, as the saying goes. Go ahead and keep what’s left of the double-gear system. Keep what’s left of that invention I never should have made and remember this: that every shard is a piece of my heart broken. -A. Wily_

A tear fell onto the letter and Dr. Light quickly wiped it away with the cuff of his sleeve. He took a handkerchief from the top pocket of his coat and wiped away the wetness around his reddened eyes. He folded up the letter and took a deep breath. To say it had taken him so long to use the technology on his robots simply because he thought it was dangerous would be a lie. It wasn’t. It was that every time he thought about it, he thought of what Wily had said.

_Every shard. A piece of my heart broken._

He could rebuild the prototype design for Wily’s invention, and he could perfect it—that he knew, but he could never repair the relationship he’d once had with Dr. Wily. Perhaps that’s why Wily never used it either until now. It was like a wound that would never heal. And perhaps that’s why Wily had decided to use it again so many years later—to free himself of that wound. To put the shards back together. To rekindle the old flame. He remembered seeing Wily only two weeks prior, with Mega Man the only one standing between them. Perhaps that’s the way it would always be. Himself, Wily, and Rock the chasm that stood between them.

This wasn’t the way families were supposed to be.

There was no way to bring Wily back. He had to stop kidding himself. Dr. Light also tried to convince himself to let go of the guilt he had inside. To tell himself that he wasn’t the one responsible for the way Albert was acting—the man Wily had become. But it wasn’t easy.

_A FEW MONTHS LATER…_

Dr. Light left the 20XX Annual Robotics Convention with Mega Man at his side. There was no doubt that judging by the feelings of many attendees that they considered him to be the top scientist in the world. _A pioneer_ , they lauded. _A real hero_. But not everyone felt that way. Some protesters stood outside, holding signs saying that the world would be better off without robots. That robots were taking people’s jobs. That they were dangerous. That humans and robots could never live together in peace.

Light’s eyes scanned the protesters, who shot angry glances his way, including a flurry of words he’d rather Rock and Roll not hear. Dr. Light saw a figure toward the rear of the protesters, wearing a standard lab coat, a hat and sunglasses and standing with his arms crossed. The figure wasn’t saying anything nor holding a sign. He was just standing there watching as if he were remaining neutral. Light paused. Something about this figure looked familiar. Even with the disguise, the shape of this mysterious man’s nose as well as his build seemed reminiscent of someone he knew… The figure turned and left, walking toward the gardens outside the Convention Hall.

“Wait here, Mega,” Dr. Light said. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

“But Dr. Light, don’t you think it’s unsafe out—“ Mega Man started.

“I’ll be fine, son,” he said, rolling his hand across the bot’s titanium shoulder. “Just keep an eye on Roll.”

Light found a shortcut to the gardens from the host inside the convention center. The doctor took off quickly, his feet hitting the ground with large strides. He might not make it in time. But when he reached the gardens, Light saw him. Light’s heart was beating faster than it had in a long time. His throat felt as if it were getting tighter. He’d never been so nervous, and he just stood there, looking at the other man gaze off into the distance. There was a long silence save for the wind tearing through the trees and the faint buzz of people exiting from the front of the building.

“You come all this way just to stand there?” the man asked, not turning his head. Dr. Light took a deep breath and started walking closer.

“Albert, I-” he started.

Dr. Wily held up his hand and Light stopped.

Wily smiled. “It’s clear that they all adore you in there,” he said, rolling his eyes at the word ‘adore’. “Must be nice. Even with all of the protesters out front, you still have your own bodyguards and all of your fans. A life that a true genius deserves!”

“Albert, it shouldn’t be like this!” Light said in a very frustrated manner. “It isn’t right! You having to disguise yourself like that! We should be together in there!” Dr. Light pointed toward the building. He kept walking closer to Wily until he was five feet away from him.

“Take off the hat,” Dr. Light said. “And the glasses. Take them off.” Wily turned to look at Light and removed the sunglasses and the hat. Tufts of spiky silver-tinged hair poured out of the hat once he removed it.

“Why did you come out here to the gardens?” Wily asked.

“Because I saw you,” Dr. Light said. “I saw you in the crowd.”

“You saw me in that crowd?!” Wily laughed. “ _Mein Gott_ , your eyes are just as good as they were twenty years ago!”

Light grinned. “As good as ever,” he said.

“Well,” Dr. Wily said, “I suppose now that you’ve found me, I should be going before anyone else decides to go for a stroll—“

“Wait!” Dr. Light said. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

“To tell me?!” Wily chuckled. “What is it, that your son’s coming to pay me a visit again?! Ha! Don’t need to hear it.”

Light put his arms on Wily’s shoulders. “I miss you,” he said. “More than you will ever know.”

Wily’s eyes grew wide. “Stop this,” Wily said, cocking his head to the right to avoid looking at Light. Light took his hand off Wily’s shoulder and moved Wily’s face back around to look him in the eyes.

“Look at me,” Dr. Light said.

“What is with you?!” Wily exclaimed. “Have too many of those “energy cans”?” The rogue doctor made quotation marks out of his fingers at the mention of the word ‘energy cans’. Wily looked into Light’s eyes. “What do you want, Thomas?” he asked.

“What do I want?” Light asked, repeating Wily’s question. “What do you mean-“

“You chased me into the gardens, you’ve stopped me, you’ve grabbed me by the shoulders, what is it that you want?!”

“I still have it,” Dr. Light said.

“Still have what?!” Wily asked.

“The letter,” Light replied. “From university. When you…when you left.”

Dr. Light let his hands slump to his sides. “You have…” Wily said, in a hushed tone of voice, “you still have that? I…I mean, that was so long ago, why did you keep it? Are you just that sentimental, is that it?”

“No, I kept it because I…” Light said, pausing. “Because, well, it was the last letter you ever gave me. And because I thought I might never see you again. I didn’t know what was going to happen, when you left. When you left, my world, it—it fell apart.”

“Oh please,” Wily said. “When I left, your popularity grew twofold! You had more friends, got more professional recommendations, more funding, more scholarships…what are you talking about!”

“But I lost you,” Dr. Light said. “The only one I ever truly…”

“Would you stop pausing?! So annoying!” Wily exclaimed. “Spit it out!”

“The only one I ever loved!” Dr. Light said loudly. Wily was silent. Light just stood looking at him waiting for some kind of reaction. _Something. Anything._

Wily started talking. “Love…” he said. “Love…a feeling central to the being of every person, contrasted with hate, but an emotion so strong that some say it can never truly be broken. Without it, we would not be human, we would be as if we were just…” Wily took Light’s chin and lifted it up with his palm.

“Robots?” Light asked.

“But for robots and humans to live together as friends, as partners for the common good, as equals, they too must know what it is like to feel love,” Wily continued. “For love is what bonds people together, what makes them loyal…”

“What makes them worth loving,” Light finished. “You remembered! That’s what…that’s what I said when we were working on our first prototype human-like robot!”

“How could I forget?” Wily asked. “Such a beautiful defense for why robots and humans should work alongside each other.” There was a moment of silence.

“And you were mine, too,” Dr. Wily said. “My only love, my only Light…” He grabbed Dr. Light’s tie and pulled him closer. Light wrapped his hands around Dr. Wily’s waist. Dr. Wily ran his fingers through Light’s soft hair and smiled.

“You’re still as handsome as ever,” he said, a playful grin on his lips. Then Dr. Light moved in closer and pressed his lips onto Wily’s and the playful grin disappeared as he accepted the kiss, and then gave him one back in return.

“Well, I really should go now,” Wily said. “Otherwise, the bots will get worried. You know how that is.” He snickered.

Light smiled. “You can come back, you know,” he said.

“No, no, no,” Wily said, brushing his coat off. “I can’t do that. I’ve got my own aspirations now, my own ideas, I can’t…”

“Oh, so you’re _still_ planning on taking over the world?” Dr. Light asked.

“Weellll,” Wily shrugged. “If I do take over the world, will it impress you?” Wily winked.

“Stop it!” Light chided. “That’s no joke!”

Wily laughed. “Better get back to the others,” he advised. “Before people come looking for you.”

“Wait!” Dr. Light said. “What are you going to do now? Where…where are you going?”

“Guess that’ll just be a mystery now, won’t it?” Wily teased. “You’ll see me again…I promise.” There was a suggestive smirk on his face.

“I don’t like the sound of that, you ole devil,” Light said.

“And they’ll be lots of fireworks, I promise!” Wily said.

“Oh, I hope I’m not thinking what you’re thinking,” Light said, sighing.

“You’re not building another line of robots are you?” Light asked. “Eight more? Albert, take it easy—”

“Oh I didn’t say anything about building _eight_ more,” Wily said. “Maybe just _one_ more. Maybe just one…to give you a little reminder that I’m still around.”

“One?” Light asked. “Wow, you’re really outdoing yourself this time, Wily.”

“Don’t underestimate me,” Wily said, poking Light on the shoulder.

“Well, gotta go!” And Dr. Wily threw the hat and the glasses back on and strode out of the gardens alone. Light shook his head and smiled. Just then, Dr. Cossack came out of the Convention Center and approached Dr. Light.

“Who was that, Doctor?” Cossack asked, looking worried. “Was that Dr. Wily?”

Light just laughed.

“It was an old friend,” he said. “Now come on, Mikhail, let’s go inside.”

_A FEW EVENINGS LATER…_

“Dr. Light!” Roll shouted. “There’s a robot outside! I’ve never seen him before, but I’m real real worried! Oh, Doctor, what a time for Mega Man not to be here!”

“A robot?” Light asked. “Where? Let me have a look.”

Dr. Light opened the door and looked around. “Roll, I don’t see any robots, you must have fried a circuit,” he said. “Come on, let’s go back inside.”

But as Dr. Light turned around, he heard the loud crackle of fireworks shoot up into the sky. He looked up as a rainbow of pyrotechnic bursts filled the evening air. A robot stood outside the gate to the laboratory, smiling as he looked at Dr. Light and Roll.

“Greetings from Sparkler Man!” The robot laughed. Then he dashed away. Light just grinned.

“Wily, you…” he whispered.

“What did you say, Doctor?” Roll asked. “Who was that robot?”

“Never seen him,” Light said. “But at least he knew how to brighten up our evening.”

“Yeah, hope we see him again!” Roll said.

“Me too, Roll,” said Dr. Light. “Me too.”


End file.
